Chapter 250 - Pleadingly (II)
Xiong Zhi stared at the pale face and tired eyes of Butler Zhou.
Earlier, the first person she saw to come out of the study room was Xiong Cai. She was stunned because the person she was expecting was the ugly Xiong Wuyue and hateful Xiong De, yet an unexpected person came out instead. Then, she saw Xiong Gaiyu who sported the same deathly face as her father.
Xiong Zhi caught on things quickly.
This father and daughter had been summoned and they had been discussing matters unexpected to them. This matter most likely involved Xiong Gaiyu heavily. Otherwise, why would the girl be summoned inside?
But then she stilled. Linfeng was summoned as well.
"..."
She quickly looked back at the room but Butler Zhou had already closed the door. The man straightened his body and was surprised to see her right in front of the door.
"Young Miss Zhi," Butler Zhou respectfully greeted, his face appearing slightly wan.
Xiong Zhi nodded at him then glanced at the pair.
Xiong Gaiyu slowly recovered her expression to an awkward smile after seeing her.
"Good afternoon, Young Miss Zhi," she tried to calmly greet her, yet her trembling voice and her awkward expression betrayed her wayward emotions.
Xiong Zhi glanced at the door then stared at Xiong Gaiyu's face.
'What did they discuss about?'
She nodded back in greeting. "You are summoned?"
"Yes," Xiong Gaiyu nodded.
"Just the two of you?" Xiong Zhi glanced at Xiong Cai who still appeared to be in a daze. The Xiong Cai who always wanted to curry favor from her had actually not greeted her yet.
Xiong Gaiyu took a quick look at Butler Zhou Min.
"No. We are with Butler Zhou, and—"
She directed her eyes at the Young Miss.
"—your butler."
Xiong Zhi's eyes lowered. So, she was right. Linfeng was summoned together with them.
But... why?
"May I ask what grandfather have discussed with you?" Xiong Zhi threw all her manners and asked Xiong Gaiyu outright.
Xiong Gaiyu opened her mouth to answer, but Zhou Min blocked her.
"Young Miss, your grandfather instructed us to keep it privately among us. If you could excuse us. Second Master and Young Miss Gaiyu, please," Butler Zhou Min respectfully gestured downstairs.
The pair dispiritedly followed the butler.
Xiong Zhi was left alone in front of the study room. The two attendants were still on both sides of the door, trying not to look at her. They were afraid that the Young Miss would force her way in.
She paced back and forth. Her mind quickly ran.
What was this all about? Why must it be kept private from her? What was the matter with their expressions?
While thinking about it, a tiny alarm sounded from all the butlers' watches.
Red Alert. It meant Old Xiong pushed the emergency button and he needed someone to come in right now.
As the butlers on guard were about to knock and enter the door, Zhou Min came rushing in. Xiong Zhi did not stand a chance to question him as he came running towards the door.
After a quick knock, he opened the door with great force, allowing the people outside to have a glimpse of the interior of the room.
Xiong Zhi took the chance to peek.
She froze.
Linfeng was kneeling on the ground with his head bowed down. Her grandfather's face looked beyond furious.
'What happened?!'
"Lin—"
The door shut close before her face.
"—feng..."
Xiong Zhi paled. For Linfeng to kowtow as such to her grandfather. Did he make a grave mistake?
If it was a grave mistake to the point he prostrated on the ground... then... Were they possibly going punish him greatly, or... expel him?
Why?
She stood rooted in place.
Myriads of thoughts ran wild in Xiong Zhi's mind. After a few seconds, she went close to the door to force her way in.
The butlers were about to stop her when the door opened again and a shocked Zhou Min came out.
"Young Miss."
Zhou Min excused himself even as she barraged him with questions.
Xiong Zhi was getting anxious. Butler Zhou seemed slightly out of it. What was happening in the room?
Butler Zhou looked at her gravely. "Young Miss, the talk is confidential and I cannot leak any information about it. Please, I hope you understand."
Afterwards, he walked away and took out his phone.
Xiong Zhi stayed on the spot and waited for his call to finish.
After a while, Zhou Min was about to return to the room but Xiong Zhi blocked him.
"Butler Zhou, tell me what's happening. I have the right to know. He is my butler," Xiong Zhi almost pleaded.
Zhou Min glanced at the door. He sighed tiredly.
"Young Miss, the elders will be here in ten minutes. It will be a long talk. I will let the butler escort you back to the East Wing," Butler Zhou ignored her plea and gestured at one of the butlers who was standing by the door.
"I won't go anywhere without you explaining what had happened," she said firmly, not backing down too. Who knew if Linfeng ended up banished!
If Linfeng was expelled but simply was relieved of his duties, she could still accept it.
But in their circle, especially between the Xiong's and the Zhou's, expelling was not only leaving the Zhou family and its territory.
If he was expelled, he might not be able to come close to anywhere near the territory of the Xiong family, including the country.
Now that the Xiong Empire was one of the biggest business empires in the world, there would be many red zones for him around the world wherein he was not allowed to take a step. He could only retreat to an unprosperous area outside Asia.
He would be on the blacklist of the Xiong Empire. Finding a job and a place to stay near the area of influence of Xiong Empire was impossible.
Linfeng's future would be destroyed.
She might be overthinking, but her instincts sounded a loud alarm in her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and an ominous premonition filled her being.
Xiong Zhi was worried. Linfeng's dreams were extremely important to him. He had been working hard for it.
She looked at Butler Zhou pleadingly.
"Please, tell me. I want to help Linfeng. I want to help your son."
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